Those of you who are considering buying a boat have to make sure that you give proper consideration to one item that is even more important than the boat itself: access.

I bought a boat that suits me very well (Santana 35) and to which I have made many improvements. But, because of the draft, I could not find a marina within half an hour of my house, so it is on the Chesapeake Bay. Great, you say, and I agree, save for the fact that it is one hour from my house under the best of circumstances, and those best circumstances are rarely present in the Washington DC metro area. I drove over to it once a week during the winter to work on it, and I am already tired of the drive with sailing season just beginning.

I know there are others who are much farther from their boats than this, but for me, it is too far. It means that there will be no unplanned Wednesday nights on the water, no going to the boat on a whim on a Sunday evening - nothing that is not planned well in advance and that we cannot devote an entire day to in order to justify the drive.

With all this in mind, my beautiful boat is up for sale so that I can get a smaller one I can keep closer to home and use more often. It doesn''t do any good to have the perfect boat if you can''t get to it.

Drynoc''s wisdom should be heeded. When I was considering buying my boat I envisioned keeping her close by for a few years during restoration and improvements (here on the Potomac, upper tidal portion), then perhaps moving her to a slip on the Chesapeake, where I imagined the "real sailing" happens. I encountered another owner of my type of boat (Helms 25) who had done the opposite; moved his boat from the bay to the Potomac. He felt he enjoys his boat more having it close by, even though the cruising opportunities are much more limited up river.

Having spent last year working on my good old boat, and also having spent more time on the water than ever even though I have owned a hobie 16 on a trailer for over a decade, I can appreciate the wisdom of a keeping a gunkholer in the water 5 minutes away from the house with the mast up and the sails on. All I bring to the boat is the gas can and tension ready for release.

A very good point. I have a Cal 34 with a 5'' draft that just by chance was the maximum I could have to get to the slip I use that is only 10 min away from my home, if it was any more I would be on the bottom more often than not!! Also in the Chesapeake, 5'' can get you a lot more places than say 6''. So as I look for my next boat I know I have to stay under 5''. (by the way my Cal 34 is for sale.. )

I think a lot of new owners do not consider the time comittment of boat ownership. One can often afford that 35, but can one afford the time it will take to keep her up and to use her enough to make the investment wothwhile.

Distance away does not need to be a factor. I know may who comutte 1.5 - 2 hours each way. For them it is a weekend getaway. I live 75 minutes away from my boat, but see her more than most owners at my marina.

1.5 hours one way to get to it, but both I and my crew are sufficiently motivated enough and new enough to the sport (or maybe just stupid enough) to still consider it a worthwhile trip, even on a Wed. night after a long day at work. Or, say, on a freezing January weekend sleeping aboard with some heaters in order to keep working on much needed repairs.

1.5 hours one way to get to it, but both I and my crew are sufficiently motivated enough and new enough to the sport (or maybe just stupid enough) to still consider it a worthwhile trip, even on a Wed. night after a long day at work. Or, say, on a freezing January weekend sleeping aboard with some heaters in order to keep working on much needed repairs.

1.5 hours one way to get to it, but both I and my crew are sufficiently motivated enough and new enough to the sport (or maybe just stupid enough) to still consider it a worthwhile trip, even on a Wed. night after a long day at work. Or, say, on a freezing January weekend sleeping aboard with some heaters in order to keep working on much needed repairs.

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